US says 33 Afghanistan civilians died in special forces raid last year | The Guardian

The US military in Afghanistan has confirmed that dozens of civilians were killed during a special forces raid near the northern city of Kunduz last year, but ruled that the US troops had acted in self-defense.

The investigation followed claims that civilian deaths resulted from airstrikes called in to support Afghan and US forces who came under fire in the province’s village of Buz-e Kandahari. The strikes targeted two senior Taliban commanders.

The two Taliban figures, responsible for violence in Kunduz the previous month, were killed in the operation.